Ramaphosa promises to address the country on GBV and Ekurhuleni killings

President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to address the nation in the coming days on government’s response to gender-based violence and the investigation into the killings of women in and around Ekurhuleni.

Ramaphosa announced during his National Heritage Day address at Bongolethu Sports Stadium in Oudtshoorn on Thursday, where he said violence against women could not form part of the country’s heritage.

“In a few days, I will address the nation on the steps government is taking to confront gender-based violence, and to update South Africans on the investigation into the killings of women in and around Ekurhuleni,” Ramaphosa said.

“The abuse, rape and killing of women is not our heritage. There is no culture worthy of the name that diminishes the dignity of women.”

He said the pain and suffering that the women of South Africa have been put through stands out as a national shame.

The President said the country’s celebration of its heritage must confront the realities that affect the daily lives of South Africans, particularly the unequal experience of freedom and safety.

“It is profoundly unequally lived by a man who can walk the streets without fear, and a woman who must constantly consider whether she will be safe.”

The President also used the Heritage Day platform to make a declaration on the country’s response to violence against women, maintaining that violence against women will not be part of the country’s future.

Ramaphosa said South Africans had a shared responsibility to protect the country’s social fabric and guard against attempts to undermine national unity.

He said the National Dialogue process presented an opportunity to write the next chapter of South Africa’s story and develop a new vision for the country.

“The actions and decisions we take now will determine whether we build this country up or further break it,” he said.

Ramaphosa called on South Africans to put their differences aside and work together, urging them to “choose unity”, “choose ubuntu” and pursue human dignity.